# Long(ish) hair and women of a certain age - opinions? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 4, 2008, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-ish-hair-and-women-of-a-certain-age-opinions/443995 "2008-04-04T22:26:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2008, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-ish-hair-and-women-of-a-certain-age-opinions/443995/21 "2008-04-05T19:15:45Z")
Barbara Stanwyck wore long hair, well into her 80s. The character “Madame” in _The Aristocats_ had long hair, well past “a certain age”. ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2008, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-ish-hair-and-women-of-a-certain-age-opinions/443995/22 "2008-04-05T20:29:53Z")
Thanks, everyone, long it is. I am, incidentally, not much of a slave to fashion (hint: my look hasn’t changed much in 30 years). I just had a bad moment waiting for my daughter int the “Juniors” section. I was looking at some sundresses suddenly thought, ‘WTF am I doing in the Juniors section? I’m _way_ too old for this stuff.’ For about five minutes I imagined myself in Peter Pan collars, sensible shoes and navy Talbot’s suit jackets with white piping (and while we’re at it, Ko, you’re going to have to do _something_ about that hair). I think I’m over it now, so thanks! You may or may not be happy to know that I’ve chosen myself a [brand new role model.](http://www.gibson.com/press/acoustics/img/emmylou2.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![justpassingthrough](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bcef8e/32.png) [@justpassingthrough](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justpassingthrough)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2008, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-ish-hair-and-women-of-a-certain-age-opinions/443995/23 "2008-04-05T20:37:26Z")
Stunning role model! I should hope to look half that good at any age. ---
**Author:** ![Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b3f665/32.png) [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2008, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-ish-hair-and-women-of-a-certain-age-opinions/443995/24 "2008-04-05T20:54:40Z")
As long as men keep doing comb overs, I’ll keep my hair long and loose. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2008, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-ish-hair-and-women-of-a-certain-age-opinions/443995/25 "2008-04-05T21:29:23Z")
I’d still be wearing my hair long if I didn’t get horrible split ends when it gets a bit past my shoulders. Or it stops growing completely. As long as your hair makes you happy, wear it just as you like it, and dance on the grave of the old rules. ---
**Author:** ![pprgrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f6c823/32.png) [@pprgrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pprgrl)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2008, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-ish-hair-and-women-of-a-certain-age-opinions/443995/26 "2008-04-05T22:07:05Z")
Long hair on older women is fabulously sexy. My grandmother, who is in her mid-seventies, has very long dark brown hair with two streaks of silver in the front. The silver came in when she was in her thirties, IIRC, and I keep telling her that I hope I inherit it. Lois Smith is another example of a woman of a certain age with really beautiful long hair. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2008, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-ish-hair-and-women-of-a-certain-age-opinions/443995/27 "2008-04-05T22:49:56Z")
Yet another guy weighing in: There are a lot of factors that determine how long your hair should be. Age isn’t one of them. If you like the way you look with long hair, then do it. ---
**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2008, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-ish-hair-and-women-of-a-certain-age-opinions/443995/28 "2008-04-05T23:09:25Z")
I’m 40+ and I’m wearing the boy-short style because I think it flatters my face, and because, coloring my hair dries the ends too badly if I try to grow it long. When I stop coloring, watch out! 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-ish-hair-and-women-of-a-certain-age-opinions/443995.md?page=1)